Display rack



I M. KAMENSTEIN Dec. 9, 1924.

DISPLAY RACK Filgd June '7. 1921 INVENTOR Myer [film/Malia ATTORNEY Patented Dec. 9, 1924.

UNITED STATES MEYER KAMEENSTEIN, OF YORK, N. Y.

DISPLAY RACK.

Application filed June '7, 1921.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MEYER IL'KMENSTEIN, a citizen of the United States, and resident of New York city, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Display Racks, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates in general to a display rack for supporting articles of merchandise of different sizes and particularly relates to such a rack that can be folded into collapsed position and opened into different article supporting positions.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide a simplified form of such a rack, which can be readily constructed from standard stock material and fabricated into a well-braced display rack without extensive machining and without any necessity for employing skilled labor in its construction.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a skeletonized structure which will offer the least possible obstruction to the viewing of the supported articles and which at the same time will possess a ruggedness capable of supporting the articles without distorting the rack even when constructed cheaply of thin gauge metal.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a device of the type outlined which when distended into open position will provide a stable support free of any tendency to topple over even when the upper portion is overloaded.

Various other objects and advantages of the invention will be in part obvious from an inspection of the accompanying drawings and in part will be more fully set forth in the following particular description of one form of mechanism embodying my invention, and the invention also consists in certain new and novel features of construction and combination of parts hereinafter set forth and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is a view in side elevation of a preferred embodiment of the invention with parts broken away to show internal construction and with certain of the articles on display shown in ghost outline;

Figure 2 is a horizontal sectional view taken through the device shown in Figure 1 and taken on the line 22 looking in the direction indicated by the arrows; and

Serial No. 475,662.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary view of the upper portion of the device shown in Figure 1 looking at the same from one side of the showing in this figure and with parts broken away.

In the following description and in the claims, parts will be identified by specific names for convenience of expression but they are intended to be as generic in their application to similar parts as the art will permit.

It is to be considered that the rack is formed of two fiat upstanding frames similar .in construction and pivoted together adjacent their vertical centers. comprises two vertically extending and up wardly converging channel shaped members 10 and 11 with the channel sides facing each other. The uprights are connected together by horizontally extending and vertically spaced apart cross strips 12. Each of the cross strips above the lowermost cross strip has its opposite end downturned to form flanges 13 fitted between the channels and secured thereto by fastening means 14 which may be screws, rivets or the like. The lowermost cross strip 15 of each frame has a portion 16 adjacent each end downturned as described in connection with the flange 13 and has its extreme ends 17 outturned and passed under their contiguous uprights to form wide spreading feet 18. It will be understood from Figure 2 that the four feet 18 will provide four widely spaced apart supports for the rack when disposed in the open position shown in the drawings. The feet are provided with screw holes 19 by means of which the rack may be secured in fixed position on the floor or other support.

Each cross strip of one of the frames lapsthe corresponding cross strip from the other frame and these cross strips are pivotally connected adjacent their centers by means of pivoting pins 20 which are preferably of a flat head or countersunk headed type. It will be seen by this construction that it is possible to fold the frame from the position shown in the drawings about the axis formed by the vertically aligned pins 20 and into a substantially closed X form.

Each set of cross strips coact to form a support for the article to be displayed. It is preferred in order that the articles be supported on a flat uniplanar surface to dispose the article supporting part of the cross strip in a horizontal plane. To provide for such a flat support certain of the strips 21 have Each frame their central portion depressed as shown at so as to underlap the oppositely extending straight cross-strips 23 of the other frame. In this way the top face of the strip 23 is level with the outer portions, 24 of the strip 21. The depressed portion 22 extends lengthwise from the pivotal point such a distance as to permit the uprights of one pair of cross strips to be almost folded against the uprights of the other frame.

While I have shown and described, and have pointed out in the annexed claims, certain novel features of my invention, it will be understood that various omissions, substitutions and changes in the form and details of the device illustrated and in its operation may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Having thus described my invention, I claim 1. A rack comprising two fiat upstanding similar frames, each frame comprising two vertically extending and upwardly converging channel members with the channel sides facing each other and each channel member having continuous parallel side flanges, a horizontally extending flat cross strip with its opposite ends downturned to form flanges fitted between the side flanges of the channel members and coacting therewith to resist any tendency of the cross-strip to become distorted, fastening means passed through the down-turned flanges of the cross-strip and through the trough of the channel members to secure the cross-strip to the channel members, the crossstrip of one frame lapping the corresponding strip of the other frame and means for connecting the cross-strips to permit one frame to fold relative to the other.

2. A rack comprising two flat upstanding similar frames relatively foldable, each frame comprising two vertically extending and upwardly converging channel members with the channel sides facing each other, a horizontally extending cross strip with its opposite ends down-turned to form flanges coacting with the adjacent part of the cross strip to form angle members titted closely in the channels and between the side flanges thereof, fastening means passed through the down-turned flanges and through the trough of the channel members to secure the cross strip to the channel members the cross strip of one frame lapping the corresponding strip of the other frame and means for connecting the cross strips, the end portions of the lowermost of said cross strips of each frame be ing out-turned below the channel members to form outwardly extending feet for supporting the rack.

Signed at New York city, in the county of New York and State of New York, this 26th day of May, A. D. 1921.

MEYER KA M ENS'IETN. 

